Centering device for flash lights



Nov. 2 1926. 1,605,637

' I G. H. BARBER CENTERING DEVICE FOR FLASH LIGHTS Filed Oct. 15, 1925Q; Z7 45 I I OR Z3 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,605,637 PATENT orrics.

GEORGE H. BARBER, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR TO YALE ELECTRICCORIORATION, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CENTERING DEVICE FOR FLASH LIGHTS.

A lication filed October 16, 1925.

My invention relates to a centering device for flashlights. Inflashlights of the type herein described it is sometimes customary forpeople purchasing the same to disassemble the flashlight from the frontend by unscrewing the lens ring and removing the lens, reflector and thelamp without taking the trouble to remove the battery. When this isdone, the spring at the opposite end of the flashlight tends to forcethebatteries upwardly so that, when the flashlight is reassembled, itbecomes necessary to push the lamp bulb down on the carbon of thebattery in opposition to the expansion of the spring. This often resultsin the bulb and the reflector being inserted at an angle so that'the endcontact of the lamp slides off of the carbon terminal of the battery.'This results in the carbon terminal of the battery contacting with thethreaded end of the reflector or the screw-thread of the lamp, therebycausing a short circuit which, in a very few hours, eX- hausts thebattery. The owner of the light very seldom realizes what causes theshort circuit and blames the exhaustion of the batteries to themanufacturer. believing that he has purchased batteries of poor quality.I have found a means of obviating this difficulty.

By my device the lamp and reflector are centered in the casing and it isimpossible to l improperly assemble the device and to cause a shortcircuit and thereby to exhaust the batteries. 'The central lamp contactis always in electrical contact with the end of the carbon, regardlessof how carelessly the device may be assembled.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent fromthe following description, when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a section of a flashlightwith the preferred form of my centering device and with the batteries inplace.

Figure 2- is a top view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a modification of my device.

Figure 5 is a top view of the modification shown in Figure 41.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the modification shown in Figure 4.

Serial No. 62,707.

Figure 7 is a further modification of my device.

Figure Sis a top view of the modification shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is astill further modification of my device.

Figure 10 is top view of the modification shown in Figure 9, and

Figure 11 is a bottom view of the modification shown in Figure 9.

Referring to Figure 1, a tubular metallic casing 1 is provided withexpanded ends 2 and 3, which ends are provided with threads 4; and 5,the rims of which are turned inwardly at 6 and 7, so that the diametersat the rims 6 and 7 are substantially the same as the diameter throughthe middle of the casing 1. A reflector 8 having a flange 9 is supportedby thecasing 1 on the rim 6. A lens 10 rests on the flange 9 of thereflector 8. The reflector and lens are held in position by a lens ring11. This lens ring is provided with threads 12 which engage the threads1 on the casing 1. A lamp 13 issecured in the reflector 8. The reflector8 'is provided with screw-threads 14 adapted to engage the end of thescrew-threads of the lamp in the usual manner. A ring 15 provided withthreads 16 is secured to the opposite end of the casing 1. This ringserves to retain a switch mechanism. The ring together with the switchmechanism form a closure for the lower end of the casing 1.

This switch mechanism is as follows:

On a fiber disc 17 which is adapted to fit smoothly into the ring 15 issecured a metal disc 18, the diameter of which is less than the diameterof the fiber disc 17 and is equal to or greater than the outsidediameter across the rim 7 of the flashlight casing 1. A contact spring19 forms contact between the zinc of the battery and the metal disc 18.The spring, the metal disc and the fiber that the metal yoke will engagethe threads 14 on the reflector 8. On the underside of the fiberinsulating disc 21 is secured a metal strip 25 which has struck up fromthe center of it a resilient tongue 26. I also provide a metal contactplate 27, The contact plate 27 and the plate 25 are firmly affixed tothe fiber insulating disc 21 by means of rivets 28. The plate 27 is heldin contact with a carbon terminal 29 of a cell 30 by the force of thespring 18 exerted through a cell 31. It will be noted that theinsulating disc 21 is of slightly less diameter than the diameter of thecasing 1. This is so that the reflector, the lamp and the centeringmeans can be assembled and then inserted through the end of theflashlight casing and have sufficient clearance to pass by the inturnededge 6 of the casing 1. The clearance between the disc 21 and the casing1 is made as slight as possible in order that the disc shall rest asclosely to the sides of the casing 1 as possible, thereby absolutelycentering the lamp and the reflector and preventing them from beinginserted at an angle.

The circuit in my flashlight will then be through the flashlight casing,the reflector, the metal shell of the lamp, through the filament,through the end terminal of the lamp, through the tongue 26, through theplate 25, through the contact plate 27, the carbon 29 of the battery 30,through the battery 30, through the battery 31, through the spring 19.through the metal disc 18. The circuit is closed by pushing the fiberdisc 17 forward until the edge of the disc 18 contacts with the inturnedrim 7 of the casing 1. When apermanent light is desired, the ring 15 isscrewed further on to the casing 1, so that the metal disc 18 is heldfirmly in contact with the rim of the casing 1 at the point In themodification shown in Figure 4c, the base plate 27 shown in Figure 1 isomitted and the resilient tongue 32, which is struck up from the metalplate 33, is of such dimension that the diameter of the slot 34 ismaterially narrower than the end of the carbon 29, so that the metalplate 33 forms a contact plate for the end of the carbon 29.

In Figure 7 the terminal 35 of the lamp is in direct contact with theend of the carbon 36, the opening 37 in the fiber disc 38 being ofsufiicient diameter to permit the carbon 36 to contact with the end 35of the 1. In a flashlight, a tubular casing, a battery in said casing, areflector supported by said casing, said reflector being provided with adepending screw-threaded socket, a lamp carried by said socket andprojecting therethrough, a yoke having screw-threaded engagement withsaid socket and provided with legs depending from said socket, said legsbeing provided at their lower ends with feet, and an insulatingcentering device of less diameter than said casing secured to said feetand arranged intermediate the lower end of said socket and said battery.

2. In a flashlight, a tubular casing, a battery in said casing, areflector supported by said casing, said reflector being provided with adepending screw-threaded socket, a lamp carried by said socket andprojecting therethrough, a yoke having screw-threaded engagement withsaid socket and provided with legs depending from said socket, said legsbeing provided at their lower ends with feet, an insulating centeringdevice of less diameter than said casing secured to said feet andarranged intermediate the lower end of said socket and said battery, anda contact member carried by said disc and adapted to electricallyconnect said lamp with said battery.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature to this specification.

GEORGE H. BARBER.

